I'll Stop If You Stop
by babyavenger
Summary: Lila Potts, Pepper's sister, is a talented PR rep that is offered a job working with the Avengers. A certain ex-Hydra assassin may just take a liking to the striking Potts sister. A collection of BuckyxOC One Shots.
1. I'll Stop If You Stop

I'll Stop if You Stop

Lila was very excited. Her sister had gotten her a job working with the Avengers as a PR representative. Pepper knew that Lila was good with the media having worked with multiple small companies in that respect. As CEO, Pepper could no longer worry about trying to control Tony and his press conferences. Lila was excited to meet all the Avengers but Steve Rogers in particular. She had a huge crush on the superhuman and had primped and changed her outfit at least five times trying to find the right thing to wear.

She had finally settled on a white halter top dress that dropped to mid-calf and flared out if she spun around. Her brunette hair was slightly curled and hung loosely around her shoulders. She had opted for minimal makeup just a bit of eye liner and mascara to make her eyes pop. Pepper picked her up in Mr. Stark's limo and the sisters made small talk as they rode to the Avengers Tower.

Tony called Pepper and her face lit up when she answered causing Lila to smile. She was glad that her sister was happy even though she knew from the many phone calls she received from her sister complaining about Tony that he could be a handful. He was checking to see if the two were on their way so that he could gather the team. Pepper answered in the affirmative and then they hung up as the car pulled up to the tower.

"Tony said that the team was about to go to the gym to train so I'll give you a tour after we go meet the guys." Pepper said, as they got in the elevator. "We'll also have to put your biometrics in shortly. Otherwise you won't be able to access the top floors, which is where we all stay."

"Wait a second, you mean I'm gonna be staying here?" Lila's eyebrows rose. Pepper nodded.

"Part of your salary is housing in the Avengers Tower since you will be working with the team." Pepper said.

"Cool," Lila said, missing Pepper's amused smile. They stepped out of the elevator into what looked like a huge living room where almost all of the Avengers were currently waiting to meet Lila. Tony walked up to the sisters giving Pepper a kiss on the cheek and shaking Lila's hand before introducing her around. She shook everyone's hand let them introduce themselves even though she knew who every last one of them was.

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am," Steve said, as he shook her hand, "I'm Steve Rogers." She was screaming on the inside, but outwardly she was very professional.

"Nice to meet you as well, Steve," she said, "Lila."

"Well, we are gonna go train while you give Lila, here, the grand tour," Tony said, giving Pepper a quick kiss. "We'll see you later."

"See you," Pepper said, and then turned to her sister.

"Well, we should get going," Pepper said, but was cut off by her phone going off. She looked at the caller. "Sorry, I need to take this. I'm not sure how long this will take so make yourself comfortable." Then she walked off down a hallway.

Lila turned in a slow circle taking everything in. Everything was very modern and minimalistic, even though she knew it must have cost a fortune. She was heading to the couch when a man walked into the living room. She felt her face heat up when she realized he was shirtless and had a towel in one had drying his hair. He had obviously just gotten out of the shower. He noticed she was trying not to stare and failing miserably, causing him to smirk.

He had shaggy black hair and was wearing black jeans. A five 'o'clock shadow covered his face and he had combat boots on his feet and she noticed that one of his arms was made of metal and had a red star on it. His metal arm was connected to a very chiseled torso. She knew if she were to touch him, there would be no give in his body. It would be all hard muscle. She noticed him staring at her and grinning. She felt her face turn pink again.

"Could you stop staring at me like that?" She asked embarrassed. He chuckled.

"I'll stop if you stop," he said and winked at her before turning and leaving the room. Her face was as red as a beet when Pepper came back in to get her and show her around.

"Are you okay, Lila?" Pepper asked. Lila jumped slightly. She had been lost in her thoughts about the man with the metal arm. They hadn't introduced themselves to each other so she didn't know his name.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course." Lila said, clearing her throat.

"Then let's get started," Pepper said, leading Lila to the elevator once more.

"So you'll be sharing this floor with Bucky." Pepper said as they wound up the tour, "You have your own bathroom that connects to your bedroom, but the kitchen and living room are for the both of you."

"Bucky?" Lila asked, looking at her sister inquisitively.

"Oh that's right, he wasn't there this morning," Pepper said, "Bucky is a new addition to the team; he was formerly the Winter Soldier." Lila felt a pit of dread in her stomach. She thought she had read somewhere that the Winter Soldier had a metal arm that HYDRA had attached to him when he was under their control.

Her fears were confirmed when she heard a door open and Bucky, she now knew, walked out of what she presumed to be his bedroom and into the kitchen. He paused when he saw the two women standing in the kitchen. A slow smile spread across his face as he watched Lila's face turn pink. This time he had a shirt on. He walked over to the women.

"Pepper," he said, "always a pleasure. And who might this lovely lady be?" Pepper smiled.

"This is my sister, Lila," Pepper told him. "She's our new PR rep and will be living in the second bedroom on this floor." His grin widened as he looked at Lila.

"Is that right?" He said, "Ah, yes of course, where are my manners. James Buchanan Barnes, but you can call me Bucky. It's is very nice to _officially_ meet you." He said emphasizing officially as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, inwardly enjoying the blush that once again rose to her cheeks. Pepper cocked an eyebrow at the two who were still staring at each other, seemingly forgotten that she was still there. She cleared her throat once again gaining their attention. Bucky released Lila's hand but his gaze stayed on her, though she looked back at her sister.

"When do I move my things in?" Lila asked, painfully aware of the Winter Soldier's gaze still upon her.

"There is a team at your apartment now, packing your things. They should be here later this afternoon. In the mean time you can make yourself at home." Pepper said, inwardly grinning. She knew that her sister had a crush on Steve; however, it seemed that she would probably forget all about him, if she hadn't already. "I have to get to a meeting. I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted." Pepper winked at Lila as she walked away, and Lila's eyes widened.

"I, um, I'm gonna go, uh, figure out how I want my room laid out," she said, quickly retreating to her room and shutting the door. Bucky smirked.

"This is gonna be fun." He mused out loud to himself, thinking of all the things he could do to see that beautiful face blush.


	2. The Soldier

**AN: So I was going to do a bunch of one shots for Bucky as separate stories. However, in order for people to be aware of updates I figured I would put them all in the same place.**

 **Enjoy!**

The Soldier

"I'm going to grab a drink, baby, do you want anything?" Bucky asked, his fingers tickling the back of my neck. He smiled when I pulled away from his fingers, giggling. Bucky was looking very handsome this evening in a fitted dark grey v neck long sleeve shirt and dark jeans. His hair was down, as usual, and a little on the messy side, but that was mostly from me not being able to _not_ touch his hair.

"I'd like a sweet tea please," I responded. We were at a bar with Cap, Tony and Clint, waiting for the other avengers to arrive. My sister, Pepper Potts, was on an airplane flying back from a meeting overseas so unfortunately I wouldn't see her until the next morning. While the guys were chatting and Bucky was at the bar, I felt a pair of eyes on me and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I looked around but didn't see anything. I did another sweep a minute later when I still had the feeling of being watched and caught a man look away from me when I turned my head. He seemed unassuming enough and maybe it was just the couple of adult beverages I had already had, but I was rather unnerved by the thought of him watching me.

The feeling went away when I felt Bucky sit down beside me and set my tea down in front of me. His arm slid around my waist as his foot pulled my chair closer to his so he could hold me closer. He looked at me with slight concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face.

"Of course," I responded, "Why wouldn't I be?" I sipped my tea, it was a bit on the sweet side but not too much that it was undrinkable. He didn't say anything else on the matter but I could tell he didn't quite believe me. I didn't notice his glances around the bar or the slight narrowing of his eyes when he caught the guy staring at me again, because I was too busy leaning my body against Bucky's already almost asleep.

I felt his lips press into my hair and smiled as I nuzzled my face further into his chest, causing him to chuckle.

"Get a room you two," Tony said, good naturedly. Steve and Clint jokingly made noises of approval of Tony's comment.

"We're in a room," I retorted before I dozed off.

"I wouldn't mind us leaving the bar," Bucky said, getting winks and such from the guys. "There's a guy that's been watching Lila for a while, and I don't like the looks of him." Tony scoffed.

"You don't like the looks of any guy who even glances at Lila," Barton said, rolling his eyes.

"Normally, I'd agree with you," Bucky said, sipping his rather pointless scotch, "But Lila noticed him too. While I was at the bar, I noticed her face looked uncomfortable and she was looking around the room and focused in the direction that I found him in once I got back." The three other men immediately had their mission faces on.

"Let's get her out of here," Steve said.

"No," Bucky said, "She's asleep for the moment and she has a hard enough time sleeping I don't wanna wake her. As long as we keep her with at least one of us, I'm not worried. I just don't like it."

"I could neutralize the threat," Barton said, standing up. Bucky chuckled as Tony glared at Clint.

"Are you crazy?" Tony said, "We are trying to stay out of the headlines at the moment. Beating a guy up for looking at a lovely woman in a bar is definitely not good for PR. Lila would agree I'm sure."

"Lila would 'gree to wha'?" she murmured, snuggling back into Bucky, whose arm tightened around her.

"Nothing, sweetheart," Tony said, "Go back to sleep."

"M'kay," she said, before sleep reclaimed her.

Once the rest of the team arrived, Lila woke up. She, Nat, and Wanda chatted endlessly while the guys swapped jokes and stories. After a while, Lila stood up. Bucky immediately stood up as well.

"Where you going, doll?" he purred in her ear, causing her to smile.

"If you must know, I need to use the little girls' room," she said, as Nat and Wanda stood up as well. Bucky relaxed when he realized she wasn't going alone.

"What is it with women going to the bathroom in packs?" Bucky chuckled and got a slight whack on the chest.

"I'll be right back," she said then the girls headed across the bar. Bucky's eyes found the man who had been watching Lila when he thought Bucky wasn't looking. He was watching the women head into the bathroom and Bucky's face hardened. Bucky sat back down and tried to remember that Lila was with Black Widow and Scarlet Witch. They would die before they let anything happen to Lila.

He glanced at the bathroom door watching for Lila to come out as he sipped his scotch. He wouldn't be fully at ease until Lila was tucked back into his side. Just then he noticed Nat and Wanda come out of the bathroom but no Lila.

He sat up straight and looked for the man. Only a glass was where the man once stood. Bucky jumped up, expletives streaming from his mouth as he jumped the table and ran out the door, leaving a few astonished Avengers and three of them running out after him.

Lila had just made it outside without Bucky seeing her. She knew she shouldn't hide it from him but she was rather embarrassed that she had to resort to smoking to help with some of her stress. Her job was getting increasingly difficult. As PR director for the Avengers, it was getting hard to deal with. The Avengers were constantly growing meaning she had to monitor what made it into the media about new recruits as well as the original members plus trying to downplay the fact that she was dating an Avenger.

She just didn't want him to worry about all the stress she was under. She had just lit her cigarette when she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise and cursed inwardly. She shouldn't have come out here alone. She took a long drag of her cigarette trying to act normal where she was leaned up against the side of the building. The man approached her and she could feel herself tensing. She was thanking any and every one she could that she had stayed in a close proximity to the door.

"Can I bum a cigarette from you?" he asked. She said nothing just shook a cigarette out and handed him the lighter. That's when everything went from zero to one hundred in .001 seconds. The man had grabbed her by the neck and had her pressed up against the building. She tried recalling what Nat had taught her to do in this situation but she just couldn't remember.

"Where is your boyfriend?" the man sneered as she struggled pointlessly against him. "When he finds you he will once again become the Winter Soldier and I will have control of the deadliest assassin in the world." Lila was starting to see black spots when she felt the pressure against her throat drop. She felt a pair of strong arms catch her on her way down and looked up to see Tony holding her. She looked around for Bucky and saw Steve and Hawkeye trying to restrain him. It looked as though he had knocked the man who was trying to kill her out and was trying to still beat him.

Lila stood up and started to walk towards Bucky, but Tony stopped her.

"I can help," she rasped, her throat sore. She walked closer calling Bucky's name as loudly as she could. When she reached him, he looked at her and he wasn't Bucky, the Soldier had come out. However, as soon as he saw her he stilled and Steve and Clint looked at each other hesitantly, wondering if they could let go. "Bucky," Lila said softly, reaching out and stroking his cheek. He jerked away at first, causing Steve and Clint to hold him more rigidly. They had no idea that she did this on a regular basis when he had nightmares. Even as the Winter Soldier, he never tried to hurt her.

She just put her hand back on his cheek, and this time he didn't flinch. She ran her hand through his hair and he seemed to come back to the present.

"Lila," he whispered, as Steve and Clint let him go. The man had been slowly trying to make a get away, but Tony grabbed him by the collar.

"Ah, Ah, Ah," Tony said, slinging him to the ground, "We have a special jail cell for people who try to hurt our family." Steve roughly dragged the man to his feet and the three men took him away, leaving Bucky and Lila. Bucky had crushed Lila to his body the second Steve and Clint had let him free.

"I'm so sorry Lila, I should have been watching more closely," he said, thumb running across her cheek, "I knew the man was watching you, I just never imagined he would do something like that."

"It's okay, Bucky," she rasped, "I'm fine." He tilted her head up examining her throat. "It'll be okay, it'll bruise I'll cover it up with scarves it'll heal in no time." Bucky kissed her softly.

"I'll be better, I promise," he said, "I can't stand the idea that you got hurt when you were out with me." He kissed her forehead and her temple. Lila just shook her head slightly with a smile. He would never accept that this wasn't his fault no matter what she said. "What were you doing out here anyway?" he asked, curiously. She blushed.

"I, um, I came out to smoke a cigarette." She said, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"You smoke?" he asked, "Since when?" She sighed.

"Since the Avengers started expanding and getting into trouble and I had to start putting out fires." She said, leaning face first into Bucky's chest.

"You could have just told me," he said, stroking her hair, "I would've had one with you." She looked up at him eyes narrowed.

"Since when do you smoke?" she asked. He chuckled.

"I used to smoke back in the day," he brushed some hair out of her face, "I just haven't had one in a while."

"Oh." She said with a yawn. "Ow. That hurt." She rubbed her throat gingerly. He rubbed the small of her back with his metal hand.

"Let's get you home," Bucky said, pulling his phone out to let Steve know they were just gonna turn in for the night.

"Did you have anything special in mind?" Lila asked mischievously. Bucky laughed.

"Yeah, you are gonna get in the bed. And I am gonna get in the bed." He looked at her and leaned down and whispered in her ear as they walked along the sidewalk. "And we are gonna go to sleep." She pouted at him. "Darlin', that ain't gonna work tonight."


	3. Dreaming

Dreams

" _Lila," he whispered. His fingers ghosted along the edge of my jaw. The cool metal of his left hand slid along my hip and under my shirt. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, my knees at his hips as I straddled his lap. My eyes closed as his lips found mine. I felt a shudder run through my body when his metal fingers trailed along my spine. My hands slid along his skin riddled with scars that I wanted to kiss away._

 _His lips left a burning path down my neck and along my collarbone as he laid back, taking me with him and rolling over so he was on top. His lips captured mine again before he leaned back and smirked at me._

" _You have too many clothes on," he said, just before he tore the shirt off of me. I blushed as I lay before him in only panties and a sheer bra. "Oh, Lila," he breathed staring at me. He kissed me again slow and deep as I felt his fingers at the hem of my panties. My hands were at his belt buckle, frantically trying to undo it so I could get his pants off. I felt his metal fingers unclasp my bra deftly, as he bit my lower lip tugging lightly._

" _Miss Potts," I heard FRIDAY's voice._

" _What the hell?" I said, as Bucky vanished._

I woke up. In my bed. Alone. Damn it, another dream about Bucky. I really have to stop that. It's kinda hard to face someone after you have had multiple sex dreams about them, especially when he is your best friend. Well, I guess make out dreams is more like it. I always wake up before the good part.

"Miss Potts," came FRIDAY's voice again. I groaned.

"What?" I asked, half trying to go back to sleep. I was hoping to maybe finish that dream if I was lucky.

"Your sister is expecting you for sparring practice in an hour," FRIDAY said. Damn it. I had forgotten we had planned that today.

"Shit, Okay. I'm getting up." I sat up and rubbed at my eyes before looking around at the large empty space in my bed. I found myself wishing a certain body was filling the void. I had long given up on trying to get over my crush on Bucky Barnes. I feel guilty because Bucky is my best friend and I haven't spoken to him very much in the last month. Stupid feelings. Why did I have to go and catch them.

I pulled on some shorts and a tank top and tied my hair back and ran down to the gym so I could start warming up.

Later, I was in the kitchen making some tea when I felt a hand on my arm before I was whirled around. Natasha was standing in front of me arms cross eyes slightly narrowed. She looked me over once before speaking.

"We are going to get coffee." She said the drug me out of the kitchen by my hand. I barely was able to grab my wallet from the table next to the door.

"Nat, let me go, I am perfectly capable of following you," I said, shrugging her hand off once we were walking down the pavement toward Grounded our favorite coffee shop.

"You may be capable, but will you follow me?" she asked as we reached the door and walked inside. I looked at her a question on my face.

"Of course, Nat, you're one of my best friends," I said, wondering what brought this on. My question was quickly answered.

"So is Bucky but you seem to be hell bent on ignoring him." She said, as we sat at a table and waited for a server to come for our order. "He told me that the other day you saw him walking down the hall and you took the long way around to your room to avoid running into him." I felt my cheeks turn pink.

"That's different," I mumbled praying the server would show up. Nat studied me.

"How?" she said, "You two were inseparable there for a while. Hell, we all thought you two would end up togeth…" she trailed off as I looked down at the table my face on fire, "Oh, my God, you two were hooking up?"

"No," I said, softly, "I…" I tried to say it but I was too embarrassed. How cliché. To fall in love with your best friend. And for them to not feel the same way.

"What?" she asked, "Do you like him?" I couldn't say anything so I just nodded. "Wow, that explains a lot. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I just did." I said.

"No, I practically had to wring the information out of you." She said, "You know you can talk to me right?" I sighed.

"I know, it's just embarrassing," I said, "I'm the pathetic girl who is crushing on her best friend so hard that she regularly dreams about intimate situations with him, which causes her to have to avoid him because she feels like 'I dream about almost having sex with you all the time' is emblazoned on her forehead." I dropped my head into my hands. "I miss him but I'm afraid he's gonna find out if I'm around him." Just then the server showed up and we ordered our usual, caramel latte for me, mocha latte for Nat.

"Lila, he thinks you hate him," Nat told me. I looked up.

"How could he think that?" I asked. Nat just gave me a look.

"Li, you avoid him like he has the plague. What else is he supposed to think?" Nat said. I sighed.

"How do I get over this?" I asked, sipping my coffee. The server had just dropped them off and they were still hot.

"I don't know. I wish I could tell you. I'm tired of Bucky being broody all the time." Nat said. And we finished our coffee in silence.

Bucky was pounding the punching bag like it owed him money. He was frustrated. He didn't know why Lila hated him, and he had been wracking his brain ever since she had started avoiding him, trying to figure it out. The only thing he could come up with was that she was disgusted with what he had done in the past, although she had assured him on more than one occasion that the past was the past. Maybe she just changed her mind one day.

He thought about her constantly. Wondering how he could win her over. He wished he had the guts to just go for it and tell her how he felt, but didn't want to ruin their friendship. At least that's what he used to tell himself. Now it just seemed like she wanted nothing to do with him and he didn't blame her. He just wished he had his friend back, even if that was all she was. Bucky had fallen hard for the brunette the first time she had come to the tower with Pepper. He was content to just be around her, be her friend, even though he longed to hold her at night, to kiss her when he felt like it, to be loved by her. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he had a hope of that ever happening.

Just then he was brought out of his thoughts when the door to the gym opened.

"Hey, Buck," Steve said, "hold the bag for me?" he asked. Bucky shrugged and held the bag steady with his metal hand. Steve glanced at Bucky, who was scowling at the ground. "Wanna talk about it?" Bucky looked up at him.

"Same shit, different day." He said, resuming his attempt to scorch a hole in the ground with his glare.

"Why don't you just talk to her, man?" Steve grunted as he punched at the bag.

"She won't even stay in a room with me for more than thirty seconds. How the hell am I supposed to talk to her?" Bucky snapped.

"Corner her." Steve suggested.

"And scare her half to death. Yeah, that would go over well." Bucky said, giving Steve a look.

"Look I'm just trying to help okay?" Steve said, "I've always thought that the two of you would be good together and I think if you two could just talk then everything would get straightened out."

"Yeah, well I just don't see that happening." Bucky said, he look on his face telling Steve to drop it.

A few days later, Bucky was in the kitchen making eggs when Lila waltzed into the kitchen before stopping dead in her tracks and blushing. Bucky's eyes met her own and she felt her face get warmer. She started to turn around and leave when Bucky said something.

"Did I do something to make you hate me?" he said, his voice sounding gruff. She didn't turn back around.

"No," she said in a small voice, "I don't hate you, Bucky. I could never hate you." She picked at the hem of her shirt. Next thing she knew, Bucky was standing in front of her, his eyes searching her face.

"Then why are you avoiding me," he asked, taking in the blush on her face.

"I…" she tried to say it but she couldn't and stared at the floor. She felt warm fingers brush against her own as he stepped closer to her.

"I don't like it when you avoid me," he said, softly, feeling his own face heat up. He wrapped his fingers around hers, causing her to look up at him, realizing his face, his lips were a mere breath away from hers.

She said nothing when he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers. She felt warmth radiate from her hair to her toes, but just as quickly as he had kissed her he pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Bucky said, inwardly cursing himself. He was cut off from calling himself anything else when he felt her hand on his neck pulling him back down to her for another kiss, her other hand snaking up his arm to rest on his shoulder. His hands found her waist as he pulled her close, and wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go.

"I didn't think you felt the same way," Lila said, when they broke for air, resting her forehead against his chest. "I'm so sorry you thought I hated you. I should never have avoided you." She looked up at him hoping to find forgiveness, and receiving another kiss. They both turned their heads when they heard catcalls and cheers coming from the doorway.

"Finally," Nat said, smirking. Steve was leaning over her in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's about fucking time," Tony said, "I was beginning to try and figure out a way to lock the two of you up somewhere until you figured it out. Capsicle, don't you dare say language." Steve just gave him a look as their audience dispersed.

Lila was looking at Bucky's chest, as he still had her in his arms. She looked up at him, searching his eyes.

"I really hope this isn't another dream," she murmured, not realizing she said it out loud. Bucky smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"You dream about me?" he asked, tightening his grip when she tried to wriggle free. "Oh, no, I'm not letting you get away from me again."

"You'll eventually have to let me go," she squeaked, still blushing, "You have mission's and stuff." Bucky hiked her up over his shoulder.

"Uh huh," he said, dismissing her comment, "So, in these dreams are we clothed or not?" he said, laughing at her sputtering as he walked down the hall with her still over his shoulder.


	4. She's My World

**A/N: Sorry I haven't posted the past few days. I did not have access to my computer since I was out of town. Just a bit of a warning with this chapter, it kind of took on a life of its own and got way more angsty than I had intended. I ended up with this. I did add a bit of fluff at the end though so I hope you enjoy!**

Lila had gotten out of the shower and was standing in front of the full length mirror in her room. She was in panties and a bra and she was observing herself with a frown. She only did this when he was gone. It upset him to see her being critical of herself. She didn't know, however, that the reason it upset him was that he felt that he didn't do a good enough job of making her feel beautiful, loved, and wanted.

She turned from side to side. The work outs she had been doing with Nat and Pepper were helping but she still thought her thighs were too big around. She self-consciously touched her stomach. There was a slight pooch there that made her sigh.

"Why can't I just tell myself no when I want ice cream?" She asked no one in particular. Her hips were too wide. She sighed again wondering why on earth Bucky liked her. She wasn't special. She knew she wasn't ugly but she was definitely not in Bucky's league. He was so fit and cut and gorgeous. He had zero fat on his body. He usually looked like he just stepped off the cover of a magazine even when he had just woke up. Then there was her, plain, regular Lila. She felt a couple of tears fall down her cheek.

She wrapped her arms around her middle as more tears fell. She had talked to Pepper and Nat about it but the both assured her that she was perfect the way she was. It was easy for them to say. They were fit like their boyfriends. If their boyfriends wanted to go for a run, Clint and Tony probably didn't have to slow down to let them keep up.

He tried not to let it show, she knew that, but she also knew that when Bucky asked her to go for a run with him, he slowed down to make sure that she could keep up. She stood there for another minute or so before turning towards her closet to get clothes.

Bucky was standing in her doorway, leaned against the door jamb. _Shit! They must have finished early._ She thought. He had a concerned look on his face. She turned back around quickly trying to wipe the tears from her face, her arms then instinctively wrapping around her stomach. She suddenly wished she was wearing clothes to hide herself.

"Babe?" Bucky said, softly. "You okay?" he asked, walking towards her. She felt more tears fall down her face as she felt the cool metal of his hand touched her back. She turned her face away from him and walked to her closet, once again wiping her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, shakily, "I'm just gonna get dressed and then go out for a bit." She dug through her closet before settling on a sun dress and strappy sandals. She felt his prescence rather than heard him walk up. He was an ex-assassin after all.

"Let me shower and I'll come with you," he said, voice cheerful, though inside his mind he was troubled.

"That's okay," Lila said, "I just thought I would grab Nat or Pepper. I'm feeling like some girl time." She barely held back a sob. Bucky was slightly hurt but didn't push the issue. He stepped forward, his arms snaking around her waist and he buried his face in her neck, planting a few kisses there.

"Alright, if that's what you want, Doll," he said, feeling the ever so slight tremors of her body as she tried to hold back her tears. He was tearing apart inside; he wanted to fix what was wrong so badly. When she was upset, it hurt him almost more than it did her because he knew it wasn't something physical that he could fix or protect her from. The only person who could protect Lila from herself was Lila. He just wished that she could see herself the way he saw her. Then there wouldn't be anything to fix.

He reluctantly let her go. His instincts told him to hold her forever, but he knew that wasn't what she needed. Originally, his plan had been to shower and then spend the afternoon cuddling and relaxing with Lila. Right now though, he needed to blow off some steam, think. So, he headed to the gym.

He had been hitting a bag for a good 30 minutes or so before he heard the door open and someone walked in. He glanced in the direction of the door, seeing Clint eye him curiously.

"We just got back from a rather intense mission," Clint said, watching Bucky pound the punching bag with a vengeance. "I thought you were gonna just chill with Lila this afternoon." Bucky heaved a sigh, grabbing the bag, to make it stop swinging.

"That was the plan," he said, panting slightly. "I went into her room when we got back to tell her hi, get a kiss, whatever, ya know?" Bucky jerked a hand through his hair. "When I stepped in the doorway, she was standing in front of the mirror in her underwear, arms wrapped around herself, crying." Clint's face softened. "I don't know why she's so self-conscious. And I don't know what to do!" Bucky's voice was raising slightly. "I constantly tell her how beautiful, gorgeous, pretty, she is, ya know? And it's like it doesn't comprehend with her or she thinks that I don't mean it. She's hurting and I don't know how to fix it. Some creep hits on her in a bar, she gets a cut or a scratch, she has a nightmare and doesn't want to sleep alone, that I can fix. But this?" Bucky hit the bag so hard it flew across the room into the wall. He crouched down resting on his heels his hands raking through his hair again.

Clint knelt down next to him, surprised to see the formerly emotionless killer's eyes watering and red rimmed. Bucky looked at Clint. "I just want to fix it. I don't want her to hurt anymore. If she could just see how I see her she would understand." A tear slid down his cheek. "But I don't know how to show her." Clint had been already with some advice, thinking this was something new, but then realized the couple must have been dealing with this for a while. "She doesn't share a bed with me anymore unless she's scared." He whispered, sounding defeated. "She barely lets me touch her anymore. And I mean stuff like holding her hand, kissing her cheek, touching her hair. I wonder sometimes if I did something to make her feel like I didn't think she was good enough."

The Soldier had made himself comfortable on the floor, so Clint followed suit. "You know I don't think that right?" he said, basically just talking into the universe now. He had almost forgotten that Clint was there. "She's an angel. I definitely don't fucking deserve her, especially if I can't make her see how special she is." Another tear slid down his cheek. "She's my world," he whispered, "And she can't see that."

Clint felt distraught. His friends were both upset and he couldn't do anything about it. He could tell Bucky that it had nothing to do with him, but he would never believe him. He had seen Bucky with Lila and knew that she was treated like a goddess. The Ex-Assassin practically worshipped the ground she walked on. Not to say that this was her fault either. From what he gathered from Nat and Peppers conversations with Lila, she had been a bit chubby in high school and was relentlessly made fun of by her peers. For years, she had had it beat into her head that she was worthless, not good enough, ugly, fat. She finally had someone who couldn't and wouldn't live without her and she just couldn't believe that anyone would want her out of anything other than pity.

Bucky stood up and muttered, "I'm gonna go make some dinner." And exited the gym.

Bucky had showered and was preparing food for Lila and he when he heard the elevator open up on their floor. He turned around and saw Lila walk into the living room. He smiled at her tentatively, putting up his mask.

"Hey, Love," he said, putting the food on plates. "I made dinner." He turned and felt his heart wrench at her puffy, red rimmed eyes from where she had obviously been crying. She tucked some hair behind her ear.

"I, um, I already ate with Pep and Nat," She said, not meeting his eyes. Bucky had set the plates on the table. "I'm actually kinda tired, I think I'm just gonna go to bed." And shuffled off to her room. Bucky raked his hand down his face, sighing. He sat down, alone, at the table and ate in silence. His phone was sitting next to him and he noticed the screen light up. A message from Nat.

 **Nat: You guys hungry? We made spaghetti.**

 **Bucky: You mean you guys didn't eat while you were out?**

 **Nat: No. Why would I invite you for dinner if we had already eaten?**

Bucky took a deep breath and slammed his fist down on the table. _Damn it!_ He got up and stalked over to her room. Normally, he was polite and knocked before he went into her room but this time he just flung to door open. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why, Lila?" he asked, "Why would you lie to me?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked. He tossed his phone on her bed. She picked it up and read the messages before sighing.

"Please, Lila, come eat," he said. She picked at the bedspread.

"I don't want to," she said. He looked at her worry evident on his face.

"Lila please," he said, a sob cracking his voice. "I don't know what to do!" He yelled she looked up and seemed shocked to see tears in eyes, even as he yelled. "For God's sake, Lila, you can't not eat. It's not healthy!" he was pacing the floor, hands on his head in a panic. "Where did I go wrong? Where did you get the idea that I don't think you are perfect the way you are? God, you just don't realize it, do you?" She was staring at him wide eyed. "Lila, I love you. You're beautiful and I miss you. I miss you so much. I just wish you would let me hold you and love you again. I wish I could fix this but I can't. I just…I can't! I…I know I messed up somehow, but I'm really trying." He was on his knees next to the bed, tears streaming down his face. "Just…let me make it up to you. Tell me what I did. Whatever it was, I'm so sorry. I don't fucking deserve you, Lila, not even a little bit, but I will keep you for as long as you'll let me." She was in shock. His voice lowered and wavered. "Please just tell me what to do, I'll do it. Whatever you ask, I just want you back." Lila didn't know what to think. She had no idea that he thought her problems were his fault. She felt fresh tears run down her cheeks.

"Bucky…" she said, sliding down into the floor in front of him, "Bucky, I…you didn't do anything…" she reached up and wipe the tears from his cheeks only for them to be replaced by more. He closed his eyes and leaned his face into her hand.

"I can't believe that," he said, grabbing her hands with his and holding them, scared she would pull away again. "Lila, I'm your boyfriend, I'm supposed to make you feel like a princess. Because you are. You are my world, Lila. I wish I could make you understand that." Bucky had her face in his right hand, brushing her cheek with his thumb.

"Bucky," Lila said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck and felt his arms wrap around her waist holding her as close as possible. She had no idea what to say. She had been so worried about herself and the way she thought, apparently incorrectly, she looked to him that she didn't realize what it was doing to Bucky. "I'm so sorry, Bucky, I had no idea," she tried to lean back, so she could look him in the face but she felt his arms lock, not letting her move.

"Please don't push me away again," Bucky whispered. She could almost hear the tears in his voice, "I can't lose you." She put her hands on his face and he loosened his hold…slightly. He looked so scared. She pressed her lips to his and felt him relax and he deepened the kiss, his arms pulling her tight against him again.

They talked for a good, long time that night. They both still had some insecurities cause that doesn't go away overnight, but they had agreed to talk about them when they came up instead of pushing each other away. When they finally went to bed, they both shared Lila's bed. As soon as they had laid down, Bucky had grabbed Lila and pulled her body flush with his, his arms wrapping securely around her waist. She turned in his arms so they were facing each other, their noses touching.

"I love you, Bucky," she said, her arms sliding around his back. He smiled at her.

"I love you, too, doll," he said. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before she tucked her head under his chin, her cheek pressing against his shoulder. Bucky sighed contentedly as sleep overtook the couple.

The next morning when Bucky woke up, he blinked and realized Lila wasn't there. He had a moment of panic and jumped out of the bed heading toward the kitchen. He entered and saw Lila had pulled on his robe and was making coffee, she turned and set two coffee cups on the table and jumped a little when she saw him.

"You can't keep sneaking up on me like that," she scolded, "Jeez, make a little noise when you come into a room, huh?" He walked over to her pressing a kiss to the top of her head and wrapping her in his arms.

"Sorry," he grinned, happy that he could hold her again, "Old habits."

"Just try to work on it," she said, leaning into him briefly.

"If I don't, does that make me a bad boy?" he teased, "Would I have to be punished?" he waggled his eyebrows at her as she rolled her eyes. She pushed on his chest gently.

"Go back to bed, I'm bringing our coffee in there." She said. He let her go but only after a long kiss that she felt in her toes. She smiled up at him and admired his bare back as he walked back to her room.

Once she had their coffee, she carried them into her room and handed them over to Bucky. He had been sitting up on his phone but put it away when he noticed her at the door. She climbed onto the bed and laid back against his chest. She grabbed her cup from him and he snaked his arm around her middle, nuzzling his face in her hair.

Bucky hummed in her hair. "I will definitely be getting used to this." She looked up at him smiling.

"Me too," she said. Just then JARVIS spoke.

"Sergeant Barnes, Mr. Stark has requested everyone's presence in the main living quarters." Bucky frowned not wanting to move from his current position.

"Tell him I said go to hell," Bucky said. Lila giggled but got up.

"Ignore him JARVIS. We'll be there in a few minutes." She told the AI. Bucky dropped his head against the headboard and groaned.

"Very well Miss Lila," JARVIS said.

"Now why would you do that Lila? I was comfy," Bucky whined. She stuck her head out from the closet where she was currently looking for something to wear.

"Just to annoy you," she deadpanned.

"Well it worked," he muttered. Bucky got up and walked over to the closet and stood in the doorway still wearing the jeans he had put on after the gym yesterday. He grinned as he took in her nearly naked form. She was currently wearing black lacey panties and a matching bra. "Well," he said from behind her making her jump. She whirled around glaring at him, her face turning red.

"I told you to stop sneaking up on me," she said, as his eyes raked over her body.

"I can't help myself, doll, you're just so cute when you get mad." He took a few steps closer as she pulled a dress from a hanger. She went to pull it over her head but he snatched it from her hand before she could pull it down. He set it to the side as he slid a finger along her panty line and thigh. He grinned at the blush creeping up her neck. "I haven't seen these before." He pressed a kiss behind her ear, feeling her shiver as his metal hand ran lightly along her spine. "I like them," he whispered in her ear. He turned her to face him and kissed her deeply, arms wrapping around her back pulling her flush to him. She pulled back giving him a stern look.

"Bucky, we have to get dressed and meet everyone in the living room." She said as she reached into a drawer behind her and shoved a shirt into his chest. He groaned.

"Babe, you're killing me," he said. She took the opportunity to pull her dress over her head and selected some sandals to put on. Bucky looked at the shirt. "Where did you get this from?"He asked. "I've been looking for this forever." Before she could stop him, he opened the drawer she had pulled the shirt from open, his eyebrow raising at finding it full of his shirts. "So that's why I always have to buy new shirts," he chuckled looking over at her. She looked back at him defiantly.

"They're comfy and smell like you,"she said, "They're comforting when you're gone on a mission." She stated a bit more quietly. He smiled and pulled the shirt over his head.

"You can take my shirts anytime,"he said, laying his right arm over her shoulders as they walked to the elevator. "Just maybe put a few back sometimes?"

Everyone was waiting on them as they stepped off the elevator. Lila had in twined the fingers of her right hand with his hand that was currently at her shoulder. Clint smiled as he took in their relaxed posture. He wasn't sure what had gone on the night before but he was glad they seemed to have worked out their problems.

"So I guess you were all wondering why I gathered you here this morning." Tony said as Bucky and Lila sat in the recliner. "I have some very important news about Pepper and I." He paused and took a breath. Everyone was staring at him. Nat and Lila shared a look. Pepper hadn't mentioned anything wrong with her and Tony. "I just wanted to let you guys know we are still very much in love." Everyone was still looking at him.

"And?" Steve asked. Tony had started looking at his phone and looked back up.

"I'm sorry?" Tony asked, everyone looked at him expectantly. "Oh that was all." Everyone groaned but Bucky was glaring. He stood up picking Lila up as he went.

"You interrupted primo cuddle time for that? Go to hell, Stark." Bucky said heading for the elevator as Lila tried to hide her giggles. Everyone had left Tony in the room smiling and looking pleased with himself.


	5. It It's All Gone

**A/N: This one is definitely NSFW. You have been warned.**

Lila was currently in the kitchen that she and Bucky shared, fixing fried chicken and sautéed vegetables with white rice for their dinner. Bucky was showering after a particularly strenuous training session with the rest of the team. She could hear the faint sounds of Shinedown playing in the bathroom as Bucky showered and she smiled. She was glad that he liked some of the stuff she had been showing him.

She heard the water turn off in the bathroom and smiled. Knowing Bucky, who likes to walk around without a shirt, she was about to enjoy a wonderful view of her boyfriend's body.

A few minutes later as she was making a plate for her and Bucky she heard his bathroom door open. She carried the plates to the table and set them down turning back to the kitchen and going to grab a couple of glasses of water. She set two glasses on the island and grabbed the water pitcher they kept in the fridge and poured water into each glass. As she set the drinks on the table and went to sit down, Bucky came out of his bedroom with a towel draped around his neck, using one side to rub at his hair. She was admiring his torso as usual when she did a double take at his head. Her eyes widened.

His shaggy black hair was cut short on the sides and left longer on the top, swept slightly to the side. He had shaven his face as well. It looked like he had used a straight razor on his face because the razors that she got for him never quite got all of the stubble and he almost always had a little shadow on his face. Her mouth dropped open. He still hadn't looked at her yet, busy toweling his hair off. He gave his hair a couple more rubs then tossed his towel on the back of a chair in the living room before heading into the kitchen to join her at the table.

He sat down and looked up to tell her that the food looked good but stopped short when he saw her face.

"What? Is something wrong?" he asked, his eyes suddenly concerned. Her shaggy handsome man was gone and had been replaced with a clean shaven, also very handsome man. Truth be told, she wanted to throw him on the table and take him then and there.

"It…It's all gone…" she whispered reaching over and running her hand through his hair. His face was relieved for a second, before it was replace with insecurity.

"Uh, yeah, I…um…well I figured…I guess I figured if I got back to looking like Sergeant Bucky Barnes from the Howling Commandoes, I might be able to shake the Winter Soldier off a little bit more." He said, looking down at his plate. "Maybe I should have mentioned it first." He muttered and rubbed his right hand harshly over his face. "Um, If you don't like it, I mean, I can let my facial hair grow out that'll happen pretty quickly and I can let my hai.." he was cut off by Lila suddenly straddling his lap and claiming his lips with hers.

"God, you look hot." She breathed, running her thumbs along the smooth skin on his jaw. He grinned.

"Yeah?" he asked, an eyebrow raising.

"I mean I've always thought you were hot," she said, feeling his hands traveling north of her knees as he trailed kisses along her neck and just under her jaw. "But I've never seen you all cleaned up like this." She gasped as he gently bit her earlobe and tugged.

"If I had known you were gonna react like this," he said, cut off as she kissed him again, trailing her hands along his abdomen, "I would've cut," another kiss, "My hair sooner." She bit his bottom lip and he groaned as she fumbled with the button to his jeans and sucked at a spot on his neck just below his ear. He stood up his hands on the back of her legs as he walked them to his bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him. The elevator opened right into the living room/dining room area and they had learned the hard way that people don't call before they stop by. Well, Steve and Clint do _now_.

Bucky dropped Lila onto his bed before crawling up after her. She had gotten his jeans undone and now she tugged on them signaling Bucky to pull them off leaving him in his boxers. He growled.

"You have too many clothes on," he said already in the process of pulling her shirt over her head then just as quickly rid her of her skirt. His lips found hers again as his hands slid up the length of her torso to her breasts. He teased her nipple with his metal thumb through her bra as his other hand slid behind her and unclasped it. She shook it off as he kissed her collarbone before taking a nipple into his mouth. He sucked and flicked the bud with the tip of his tongue. Lila arched her back gasping as his metal hand rubbed against her slit while he attended to her breasts. She reached down and rubbed him through his boxers. He laid his forehead against her chest as he moaned, still rubbing her with his metal hand. He let her rub him a few more times until she tried to reach under his boxers. Then his hands grabbed her wrists and he pulled them over her head and trapped them in his metal hand. He dropped his lips to hers and languidly explored her mouth.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, when he pulled back to breathe. His forehead was resting against hers, eyes searching hers.

"Of course," she said, panting. She wanted him inside her now. He dropped another quick kiss to her lips before reaching into the drawer of his bedside table. He had her hands handcuffed to the head board before she had time to process what was going on. He was still over top of her, watching her face looking for any signs of fear. All he saw was surprise, then delight. "Kinky." She said as he grinned.

"Perks of being the good guy," he told her referring to the handcuffs.. He kissed her sloppily as he teased her nipples before trailing his tongue along her body. She moaned and bucked her hips up, looking for friction of any kind.

"Bucky, please," she whined, he grinned, tracing more patterns along her body with his tongue as he slid her panties off. He slid his hands slowly up the back of her calves as he left open mouthed kisses on the inside of her legs. She tried to squeeze her legs together looking for any friction she could get. Bucky chuckled and easily pulled her legs apart. She moaned in frustration as he shook his head.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said, kissing her inner thigh, "Sergeant Barnes is in charge tonight." He licked up her slit slowly. His metal hand slid under her leg then splayed out on her stomach, effectively holding her in place. She moaned and called his name while he licked and sucked at her clit. After a minute or so, he slid a finger in her centre and he felt her hips jump slightly, his hand holding her in place. He grinned and blew on her clit as he added a second finger pumping slowly.

"Fuck, Bucky," she hissed, he chuckled and pumped a bit faster, gradually increasing his pace. He could tell she was close. He flicked his tongue against her clit and he kept pumping his fingers as she rode out her orgasm. When she finished, he licked his fingers clean as he leaned up to kiss her deeply. She was panting, her eyes heavily lidded. He stood up to slide his boxers off.

"Bucky!" she cried out, thinking he was leaving. Once he was free of his boxers, he climbed back on the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby," he said, sucking on her neck, "Just getting ready for round 2." She hummed in response stretching her pelvis searching his out. He laughed and slid a condom over his length, before positioning himself at her entrance.

He teased her with the tip, before pressing into her tight center. "Oh, baby, you're so tight," he groaned, as he slowly slid into her. He began to slowly move inside her trying to build her orgasm up again kissing her as he did so. After a few moments, she started whimpering.

"Faster, Bucky, please," she moaned.

"What was that? Who is Bucky?" he grinned at her.

"Fuck, Sergeant Barnes, please faster, please!" she practically screamed. He happily obliged picking up his pace. He rubbed her clit gently with his thumb, determined to make her cum again before he did.

"Oh!" she cried. Bucky was almost there when she cried out his name as she came undone again. He pumped a few more times before he came. He shoved himself as far in her as he could before he came.

He rested his forehead against hers as he reached up to the handcuffs with the keys and uncuffed her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she nuzzled her face into his chest.

"Well," Bucky said, "If that's gonna happen whenever I change my hair, I'm gonna change my hair more often." He felt her body shake with laughter, as she looked at him.

"I love you, Bucky," she said, smiling. Bucky smiled. Not grinned, not smirked, he actually smiled.

"I love you, too, Lila."


	6. Snowflake

Lila had just heard of a pet adoption fair going on and had dragged Bucky with her. He had not been enthused about it but went because she wanted him too. They were walking down the sidewalk and she was talking a mile a minute. She was holding his right hand in both of hers and he smiled softly down at her barely taking in the words coming out of her mouth.

"I can't wait to get a pet," she said, watching ahead of them as they walked. "I don't know if I want a cat or a dog. They are both very cute." She put a hand in the crook of his arm, pressing her face against his bicep. She looked up at him. "I haven't had a pet since I was a kid." Her eyes were shining with excitement and Bucky thought to himself how lucky he was to be with her.

"I don't remember if I ever had a pet," he said. He had been trying to remember ever since the other day when she had mentioned going to him. Steve had always told him if he wanted to remember something to ask him and Steve would tell him. But that wasn't remembering. That was being told. He had thanked Steve but had never asked him anything. He wanted memories, not stories that were told to him. He looked down to see Lila looking up at him. She gave him a little smile.

"Well, you are going to now," she said, "We get to pick one out together." Just then they came upon the fair. "Wow," she said, "We may be here for a while." Hundreds of cages were spread around the park filled with adorable animals. Bucky frowned slightly. He knew what it was like to be in a cage and had to fight the urge to go around and open all of them and let the animals free. "I guess we better get started!" Lila said, smiling and tugging lightly at Bucky's arm. He chuckled and let her lead him around. He had to admit the animals were cute and he was very much enjoying watching Lila coo and love on the animals.

After a while of looking around, Bucky had noticed a girl with an employee t-shirt on with her hand stuck in a carrier. He walked over and heard her trying to coax an animal out of the cage.

"Come, here, sweetheart," she called softly, "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." He walked up behind her.

"Can I try?" he asked. She started and cursed.

"You scared me," she said, looking up at him. She stared for a second before a blush rose in her face as she internally scolded herself for staring at the beautiful man for too long. "Sure. Good luck. This one is very skittish. We found her in a shoe box near a river bank. The box was taped shut. We think she had been there for two days before someone heard her." Bucky frowned harshly and bent down to look in the carrier. A small black kitten with gray streaked through her fur was cowering in the corner. Bucky's face softened and he just looked at her for a minute. His metal arm was in a sleeve to hide it. The kitten was looking at him, pupils dilated and she was shaking.

He slid the sleeve off of his arm and stuck the soft cloth in the carrier, then withdrew his hand and just sat there and looked at the kitten. The kitten had stopped shaking and inched her head toward the cloth sniffing when the employee started to get impatient and went to stick her hand back in the carrier. The kitten cowered back in the corner and Bucky looked back up at the employee. His glare stopped her cold. She quickly withdrew her hand and walked away hurriedly. Bucky looked back into the cage to see the kitten sitting on his sleeve, her nose sniffing around. His mouth curled up in a slight smile and he slowly reached his hands into the carrier. The kitten stood still but didn't run back to the corner. Bucky sat patiently his palms in the air.

Lila saw a young girl quickly walk away from a table with a carrier on it and saw Bucky with a Winter Soldier stare on his face. She quickly started to make her way toward the table when she saw him slowly lay his hands in the carrier. She saw the metal of his arm gleaming in the sunlight and wondered why he had taken his sleeve off.

Just about the time she made it to him, he was taking his hands out of the carrier and standing up. There in his left hand was a small black kitten. It had curled up in his palm and fell asleep, purring the whole time. She smiled as he looked up at her. He took his sleeve out of the carrier and tucked it into his back pocket.

"Sometimes if you give a caged, mistreated animal a kindness they come to you," he said, resting his hand against his abdomen. He said it so casually, but it nearly broke Lila's heart. She knew he was talking from experience and she quickly willed away the tears she felt piling up in her eyes. He was staring down at the cat with kindness she had only ever seen him afford her and she spoke.

"I guess we've found our baby then, huh," she said, looking down and noticing the streaks of gray in her fur. She looked up to see Bucky's smile.

"Really?" he asked, already in love with the kitten. Lila laughed and tucked her hand in his elbow. She knew that cat was gonna be spoiled rotten.

"Yes, really," she asked, "What do you want…?" she had started to speak when the girl that had been there earlier came back and had a man with her.

"Excuse me," the man said, "I'm going to have to ask you to buy it or put it down." Bucky's face clouded over as Lila looked at the man in shock. The girl was standing slightly behind the man.

"Excuse me," Lila said, her voice raising, "This kitten is not an it. And we fully intend on a _dopting her."_ She said forcefully.

"Then let me escort you…" the man never finished his sentence.

"You aren't escorting us anywhere," Bucky said, an edge to his voice. Lila placed her hand on his chest trying to calm him down. The kitten had woken and clawed her way up Bucky's shirt and tucked herself under his chin. The man went pale when he took in Bucky's arm.

"You're The Winter Soldier," he said with a whisper. He swallowed hard.

"No," Bucky said, closing his eyes and breathing, "Not anymore." He said, opening his eyes again. "We just wanted to adopt a pet."

"Any person that works with animals and claims to care for them should never refer to them as _it_." She felt Bucky's hand on her back. They turned and started to walk toward the tent where they would fill out the paperwork when the man spoke again.

"The adoption tent is this way," he said with a shaky voice. Bucky turned a glared at him again making the man go white as a sheet.

"I am not blind," Bucky said, harshly and the man left them alone after that.

After they had filled out the paperwork, they went to a pet store to get necessities for the kitten. She wouldn't leave Bucky so she sat on top of his shoulder as they went through the store. Lila was looking at food and cat litter and had gone to stick her selections in the buggy when she saw all the cat toys and treats Bucky had put in the buggy. She stifled a giggle as she saw him inspecting the cat beds. He was poking them with his finger and kept looking between the beds and the kitten as though she was giving him her input.

She noticed that most of the items he had selected were a frosty blue color or white. She raised her eyebrow. "Hey, baby?" she asked leaning against the cart as he put a fluffy white bed in the cart. He looked at her.

"Yes?" He responded, his eyes darting to his shoulder, where the kitten was nuzzling his cheek. She smiled as he reached up and rubbed her little forehead with his finger.

"Why is everything blue and white?" she said as they walked down the other aisles, Bucky carefully perusing the items.

"Because her name is Snowflake," he said, a pink tint rising to his cheeks. He looked at her sheepishly. "I know she is ours but I was hoping you wouldn't care if I named her." Lila smiled as the kitten tucked herself under the neck of his t shirt and her head stuck out and rested against his neck.

"Sweetie, I have a feeling that she is definitely not going to be my cat," she said. Bucky frowned.

"Do you not like her?" he looked crestfallen. Lila put her hand on his arm.

"Bucky, I love her already. I just mean that she has already claimed you as her person." Lila said.

"But she is ours," Bucky said, confused. Lila smiled.

"Yes that is true, but most animals will have a favorite person, and I am one thousand percent sure that you are that person. That doesn't mean that I dislike her or that she will dislike me, she just responds to you is all." Lila said, as they reached the checkout counter.

"Oh," Bucky said as he started taking things out of the buggy to put on the belt.

When they got home, they set about putting Snowflake's things in various places they deemed appropriate around their floor of the tower. Bucky set Snowflake's new bed in the floor of the living room next to the couch and gently picked her up and set her down on the bed. He scratched her head a few times then sat down on the end of the couch closest to the bed and Lila smiled as she sat down next to him. Bucky pulled her close into his side as she turned the TV on.

They had settled on watching NCIS and were about a quarter of a way through the show when Lila felt little paws walking up her arm. She looked to the side to see Snowflake settle on her shoulder and fall asleep. Lila smiled delightedly.

"See," Bucky said, rubbing Lila's arm, "She likes you too."


End file.
